The U.S. Men's National Team was drawn into Group A of CONCACAF's Semifinal Round of FIFA World Cup Qualifying during the Preliminary Draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup that took place Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The U.S., led by new head coach Juergen Klinsmann, will begin its quest to qualify for a seventh-consecutive FIFA World Cup when Semifinal Round play in CONCACAF begins in June of 2012.
The U.S. was drawn into Group A with Jamaica, and will be joined by the winners of Group E and Group F from the Second Round of qualifying. Group E is composed of Grenada, Guatemala, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Belize, while Group F features Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Curaçao and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The group winners will be determined during Second Round play which will be completed November of 2011.
"The Preliminary Draw is an important starting point as it allows us to begin preparations for our qualifying campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup," said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. "The teams in CONCACAF improve every year and that makes advancing to the World Cup more difficult, but we are look forward to the journey and the opportunity to be part of the world's biggest event in what will be an incredible atmosphere in Brazil."
2014 FIFA World Cup - CONCACAF DrawRio de Janeiro, Brazil
First Round (June 15 - July 17, 2011) - The 10 lowest-ranked teams in the region (based on March 2011 FIFA World Rankings) contested a home-and-away series. - The five series winners advanced to the Second Round.
Second Round (Sept. 2 - Nov. 15, 2011)Group A El Salvador Suriname Cayman Islands Dominican Republic
Group B Trinidad and Tobago Guyana Barbados Bermuda
Group C Panama Dominica Nicaragua Bahamas
Group D Canada St. Kitts and Nevis Puerto Rico St. Lucia
Group E Grenada Guatemala St. Vincent and the Grenadines Belize
Group F Haiti Antigua and Barbuda Curaçao U.S. Virgin Islands
Semifinal Round (June 8 - Oct. 16, 2012)Group A USA Jamaica Winner E (Second Round) Winner F (Second Round)
Group B Mexico Costa Rica Winner A (Second Round) Winner B (Second Round)
Group C Honduras Cuba Winner D (Second Round) Winner C (Second Round)
Final Round (Feb. 6 - Oct. 15, 2013) - Three group winners and runners-up from Semifinal Round comprise a group of six teams. - The top three teams qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup with the fourth placed team advancing to the intercontinental playoff against a team from Oceania.
